Reservoir with a channel

ABSTRACT

A reservoir includes a plurality of chambers, an inlet, and a channel. The channel includes a first opening and a second opening. The first opening is connected to the inlet to receive fluid, and the second opening is greater in area than the first opening.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. provisional patentapplication No. 60/719,970, filed Sep. 26, 2005, the entire disclosureof which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a reservoir with a channel, such as an enginecoolant reservoir with a channel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A typical pressurized coolant reservoir has multiple chambers. Thechambers increase the structural strength of the reservoir, and helpremove air from the coolant. In certain applications, coolant enters thereservoir through its inlet at a relatively high velocity. Thishigh-velocity coolant then strikes a chamber wall adjacent to thereservoir inlet, causing the coolant to foam and adding air to thecoolant. This makes a primary function of the reservoir—removing airfrom the coolant—difficult to achieve.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention solves this problem by placing a channel in thereservoir. The channel is designed to receive fluid from the reservoir'sinlet and to reduce the velocity of the fluid before the fluid isdischarged from the channel. Fluid with reduced velocity is less likelyto cause foaming.

According to the invention, a reservoir includes a plurality ofchambers, an inlet, and a channel. The channel includes a first openingand a second opening. The first opening of the channel is aligned withthe inlet to receive fluid from the inlet. Preferably, the first openingof the channel is sealingly connected to the inlet so that all fluidentering from the inlet is directed to the channel. The second openingof the channel is greater in area than the first opening. As a result,as the fluid flows from the channel's smaller first opening to itslarger second opening, the velocity of the fluid is reduced due to theincrease in channel area. Preferably, the fluid velocity is sufficientlyreduced by the channel such that the fluid velocity at the secondopening is not high enough to produce significant foaming.

The channel may include a section where the area of the channelincreases gradually in a direction from the first opening to the secondopening. This section may have a generally conical configuration. Thecone may have an angle between 1° to 45°, preferably between 10° to 30°.The channel may include also a generally cylindrical section.

In a preferred embodiment, the channel is sufficiently long for a smoothvelocity reduction. Thus, in order for the length of the channel not tobe limited to one chamber, the channel may extend through a wall of achamber from one chamber into another chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The FIGURE illustrates a cross-section of a reservoir according to thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The FIGURE illustrates a reservoir 10 of the present invention thatincludes a plurality of chambers 12, an inlet 14, and a channel 16. Thechannel 16 includes a first opening 18 and a second opening 20.

In the illustrated embodiment, the first opening 18 is integrally formedwith the inlet 14 so that all fluid entering from the inlet 14 isdirected to the channel 16. However, it is possible to simply align thefirst opening with the inlet so that a significant portion of fluidentering the reservoir is received by the channel. Furthermore, thefirst opening may be merely sealingly connected to (but not integrallyformed with) the inlet so that all fluid entering from the inlet isdirected to the channel.

The second opening 20 is greater in area than the first opening 18. As aresult, as the fluid flows from the channel's smaller first opening 18to its larger second opening 20, the velocity of the fluid is reduceddue to the increase in channel area. Preferably, the fluid velocity issufficiently reduced by the channel 16 such that the velocity of thefluid exiting the second opening 20 is not high enough to producesignificant foaming in the fluid.

The channel 16 may include a generally conical section 22 where the areaof the channel increases gradually in a direction from the first opening18 to the second opening 20. The cone 22 may have an angle between 1° to45°, preferably between 10° to 30°. The channel may include also agenerally cylindrical section 24.

In the illustrated embodiment, the channel 16 extends through a wall 26of a chamber from one chamber into another chamber. This allows thechannel 16 to be sufficiently long for a smooth velocity reduction.

The term “channel” as used herein may be defined as a fluid conduit,such as a pipe, which preferably does not include sharp shape changes inits flow path that may cause objectionable fluid foaming. As to whatconstitute “sharp shape changes,” it is difficult to define in theabstract, because it depends on the characteristics and velocity of thefluid. However, a person with ordinary skill in the art, when providedwith the necessary design parameters, can determine what constitute“sharp shape changes” based on established practice in the art.

1. A reservoir comprising: a plurality of chambers; an inlet; and achannel having a first opening and a second opening, wherein the firstopening is aligned with the inlet to receive fluid from the inlet, andwherein the second opening is greater in area than the first opening. 2.The reservoir of claim 1, wherein the channel extends through a wall ofone of the chambers.
 3. The reservoir of claim 1, wherein the channelextends into at least two of the chambers.
 4. The reservoir of claim 1,wherein the channel includes a section where an area of the channelgradually increases in a direction from the first opening to the secondopening.
 5. The reservoir of claim 4, wherein the section has agenerally conical configuration.
 6. The reservoir of claim 5, wherein acone of the conical configuration has an angle between 1° to 45°.
 7. Thereservoir of claim 6, wherein a cone of the conical configuration has anangle between 10° to 30°.
 8. The reservoir of claim 1, wherein thechannel includes a generally cylindrical section.
 9. The reservoir ofclaim 1, wherein the first opening of the channel is sealingly connectedto the inlet so that all fluid from the inlet enters the channel. 10.The reservoir of claim 1, wherein the channel does not include sharpshape changes in its flow path that can cause objectionable fluidfoaming.